Watch: This young poet captures what it is like to be an Indian Muslim today

'Hindustani Muslaman' breaks clear of imposed stereotypes.

What kind of Muslim am I?Am I Shia or Sunni, Khoja or Bohri?Am I rural or urban, Rebel or Sufi?

This is how poet Hussain Haidry opened his spoken word poetry session with a poem titled Hindustani Musalman in the video below.

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Haidry’s carefully crafted words narrate small, parallel stories that come together to form a bigger picture of what it’s like to be a Muslim in India.

His take on stereotypes brings in a fresh perspective needed at a time when negative connotations of being associated with terrorism prevail in many parts of the world.

“Dangon mein bhadakta shola mein, kurte par khoon ka dhabba mein (I’m the ember burning in riots, I’m the bloodstain on the clothes),“ recites Haidry to emphasise how he has been subjected to Islamophobia. Still, he ends with optimism: